This invention relates to a harvesting header for a combine or the like and more particularly to a multi-row, row crop harvesting header and an improved gatherer sheet arrangement for such a machine.
It is known in headers for harvesting row crops to provide hoods or gatherer sheets spanning the spaces between the crop receiving passageways of adjoining row units for the purposes of shielding some functional components and for guiding and controlling crop material as it is gathered by the advancing machine. It is also known in a header where adjoining row units are mounted for independent vertical floating adjustment to form such a hood or gatherer sheet assembly in two portions, one carried by each of the adjoining row units and shaped so that there is a narrow fore-and-aft extending gap between them permitting relative noninterferring vertical movement of the adjoining row units. A row crop header and gatherer sheet assemblies of this type are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,384, Rohweder and Hengen, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
It is also known to make such gatherer sheet assemblies detachable for servicing of the row units, for operations such as adjustment of gatherer chains or belts or lubrication of components. The gatherer sheets may be attached to sub-frame members by conventional threaded fasteners often awkward to reach and manipulate. In another form, the gatherer sheet assemblies may be retained on the row unit sub-frame by more readily releasable fasteners. However, with the two types of gatherer sheet assembly described, access is gained only by completely removing the typically awkward and heavy gatherer sheet assembly, with the inconvenience of handling it and the need to find a suitable laydown area for it while it is removed from the machine, plus the possibility that it will become misplaced or damaged while separated from the machine. In addition, reinstallation of such gatherer sheet assemblies again requires man-handling of the gatherer sheet assembly and the typical difficulty of aligning, mating, latching or supporting parts which, perhaps, have become distorted through careless handling or fouled or blocked by foreign material.
It is also typically important for good function of the harvester header for an inner edge of the gatherer sheet assembly adjacent the crop material passageway to be stably and rigidly supported, a condition difficult to maintain in a removable assembly.